X-Over Chronicles Vol 2
by TheFairReviewer
Summary: Destiny is not limited to one dimension. With darkness on the rise for unknown reasons, Ceris, along with several others, are thrust into an adventure to figure out the cause of the anomaly.
1. Vol 2 Trailer

Author's note: Hello everyone! For those of you who have read the first volume of X-Over Chronicles, this one takes place in another dimension who's problems are connected to Yggdrasil. For those who haven't read Volume 1, don't worry, you won't be spoiled on anything. In case you haven't figured it out yet; yes, this is going to take place in the Zelda universe. So without further ado, let's get on with the trailer!

"Our home, was once peaceful."

In a large town in front of a grand castle, crowds of people could be seen walking around, either shopping, talking with friends, or playing.

"Then that all changed a few weeks ago."

Deep in a forest, a skeletal warrior appeared from a cloud of dark substance. Under the waters of a lake, more clouds of it appeared and spawned demonic, fish-like men. On a cliff above a travelling caravan, lizard warriors appeared from the darkness.

"A monster population that was once miniscule rose just like that, and with no explanation. When people would least expect it, they would be attacked, and killed."

The lizard warriors stood over the wreckage of the caravan, with a few people lying at their feet, unmoving.

"No one can step outside the towns without a guard, and fear has gripped almost everyone. This has led to an increase in crime."

In an unlit house, a shadowy figure snatched a piece of jewelry and quietly sneaked out.

"One person even tried to snatch things from the castle, but I took care of him."

In a jail cell, a figure could be seen smirking and getting up. A guard passed by the cell, then he noticed no one was inside. He quickly opened the door, and only took a few steps inside when a hand suddenly clamped over his mouth, stifling his shouts. Then another one jabbed into a spot in his neck, and he slumped forward. A hand took the keys on his belt.

"You're probably wondering who I am."

Sitting on the top of one of castle's towers was someone wearing a black cloak, with a leaf-shaped blade hanging on his side. The upper part of his face was hidden by the shadows cast by his hood, and a small smile could be seen on him. He stood up, and the wind blew his cloak to the side.

"My name is Ceris," The person said. "And I'm a hidden protector of this town. The princess herself, tasked us with working secretly to defend this place. We work in the shadows to make sure this place is safe. We are the secret Guard!"


	2. Secret Guard

Author's Note: Here it is everyone, the first official chapter of X-Over Chronicles Vol.2! I tried my best, but I would like to know how I'm doing, so leave a review if you think there are ways I can improve. Without further ado, let's get this started and I hope you enjoy!

All was silent that night.

Two people patrolled the castle's throne room; A young man of twenty with short black hair and a stern look, and a young woman of the same age with black hair that reached past her shoulders. Both wore an elite guard's uniform, which was a blue cotton tunic over chain mail armor. The young man had an extra touch to his, a gold cross, which showed his status as a captain. A steel spear was held in his hands, while she held a small shield and a short sword.

Unlike the man, the woman was uncomfortable. She kept glancing around the room anxiously, tapping her foot on the ground, and groaning. Noticing this, the man sighed and turned to her.

"What's wrong?" He asked crossly.

The young woman flinched and turned to him. "N-nothing." She said hastily.

"Leah…" His expression softened. "We've been friends since we were kids, you can tell me anything."

"Well…" She sighed. "It's just that…I'm working with you, the captain of the elite guard. It just makes me feel like you chose me out of some obligation of friendship."

"Don't say that, you know that's not true." He grew stern again. "I know you, and you have what it takes to be my partner. You're skill with a blade is nearly unmatched."

"But Captain-"

"We're best friends, remember? You don't have to call me that when we're alone."

She blushed, but smiled. "Then Reginald, there are still others you could have chosen over me."

"But I don't trust them to have my back at all times in a fight, that right belongs to you."

"Reginald…"

"Sorry for interrupting." Came a voice from the doorway. "But I have a crown to steal."

They turned to find a young man of seventeen walking into the room. He had spiky black hair, and wore a completely black attire, including a cloak. He held a jagged blade of black steel at his side, and he sported a grin on his face.

"Who are you?" Reginald said with apprehension, pointing his spear at him. Leah did the same with her sword.

"I can't say it." The man answered with a wag of his finger. "But I can tell you this. I'm here to steal the crown, and you two are in my way."

"Well, think again, because you're going to the dungeons!"

"I already escaped from that place, so even if you catch me, I'll just do it again."

"You did what?"

In that moment of surprise, the thief was suddenly in front of him in a blur of movement, and he kicked Reginald away. The captain of the elite guard was curled up on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Reginald!" Leah yelled in concern.

She stabbed at the the thief in retaliation, but he simply stepped to the side and countered with a swift uppercut, which she barely blocked.

"Oh!" He said in amusement. "A woman who can keep up! This is getting interesting."

"Stand down!" She ordered with a cut to the side, which he blocked.

Then he slashed downward, and she sidestepped the strike and stabbed at his face. He ducked, then did a stab of his own, which she knocked away with her blade.

And it continued like that, a rapid exchange of cuts.

Then Reginald got up and joined the fray, and he and Leah began to attack in unison. He jabbed while she cut diagonally, and the thief spun around the spear. Reginald attempted to whack him in the side, but he dropped to the ground and started to roll. Seeing an opening, Leah dived at him with her sword. The distance closed between them, and it looked like it would hit for sure.

Then in a move that was nearly impossible, the thief deflected the strike in the middle of his roll.

She stumbled in surprise, and he came up to strike Reginald with a spin, which he avoided by jumping back. The thief landed on his feet and chuckled.

"That was a nice move," He admitted. "But you're going have to do better than that."

"Then take this!" Reginald shouted. "Leah, together!"

"Right!" Leah said with a nod.

Then they flanked the thief and swung to the side from different directions, a technique that gave the opponent no way to avoid their attacks.

Or so they thought.

With a grin, he spun around so fast, he knocked away both strikes when they reached him. Before they could even recover, he jump kicked the both of them in the chest, and they flew back several feet. As they laid on the ground out of breath, the thief walked to the throne and pulled out a pair of shades.

"You lose, suckers." He said, and put them on. (Best birthday present ever.)

On a stone pedestal beside the throne, there was a elegantly designed crown in a glass dome. The thief inspected it for a second, then swung his sword. The top of the dome came off in a clean cut, and he reached in and grabbed the crown.

"Thieving rule one-o-one: Always be prepared for traps." He recited while twirling the accessory.

Then he ran to the door, passing the stunned guards who were on the floor. When he was halfway to the exit, Reginald regained his wits and got to his feet.

"Stop!" He said, starting to chase after the thief, but he was almost at the door.

"Sorry fellas, but I'm going to be rich!" The thief said with a laugh.

"I don't think so!" A voice said from somewhere in the room.

They stopped to look for the source of the voice.

"Says who?" The thief asked.

He gasped something came from above collided with the crown, knocking it out of the his grip. It soared through the air and landed in front of Reginald, who picked it up cautiously. Then they watched the spinning object travel upwards and get caught by a cloaked figure on the chandelier. It was a silver blade made in the shape of a boomerang, with a wooden hilt. The thief recognized the weapon, and he grinned.

"So, it's you again, isn't it?" He asked.

The person leaped off of his perch, cloak waving behind him. He landed beside Reginald with a grunt, and he stood up.

"Yes, it's me." He confirmed. "And I'm here to take you in once again!"

"But tell me, how did you know I was here?"

"We have all sorts of secret passages that connect to every room in the castle. I was going through them when I heard the commotion over here, so I came to investigate."

"And now you have me red-handed, so what are you going to do?"

The cloaked figure flicked a small switch on the hilt of his sword, and the blade folded down, making it leaf-shaped. He pointed it at the thief with a small smile.

"I'm going to make sure you're locked up for good." He answered.

The thief chuckled. "You have to catch me first!"

Then he turned to the door and took off, passing it in seconds, and the cloaked figure went after him. Reginald went over to Leah and handed her the crown. She looked up at him with a questioning gaze.

"I'm going to follow them." He said before she could speak. "Keep this safe." Then he turned and ran to the door.

The thief and the cloaked figure were running through the streets.

Weaving through the buildings, the person realized he wouldn't be able to catch up to him like this. So he thrust the palm of his hand out and shouted.

"Water!"

A wall of water rose up and started to come down on the thief. Reacting quickly, he jumped on the side of a house and leaped over the wave. He landed on the roof of the building and started running immediately.

"So you know magic…" He muttered. "This makes things more interesting."

The person also jumped on the building and resumed his chase. It wasn't before they were nearing the wall of the town, and he decided to try something else. Pointing his index finger at the thief, he did another spell.

"Fire!"

A ball of fire travelled towards his target, who spun around and knocked it into the air. They were now close to the wall, and a sentry had his back to them. The thief jumped onto the wall and ran up it, leaping off when he got to the top.

He kicked the sentry on his way down, knocking him out, then jumped off the wall. He landed on the ground just as the cloaked figure started his own leap off the wall. The thief continued to run, and his chaser continued to go after him. The figure thrust his hand out again.

"Freeze!"

The thief felt his feet go cold, and he immediately back flipped just as a tent of ice sprouted out of the ground. He landed and turned to the person with a scowl.

"That's it!" He said angrily."If you're going to fight me, do it like a man and stop hiding behind you're spells!"

"Fine then." The figure said, holding his sword with both hands.

The thief, pulled out his own blade and took a stance. "You know, you're my worst enemy. Yet, I can't seem to recall you're name, what is it?"

The figure gave a small smile. "Funny, I can remember yours just fine, Zack."

Zack laughed. "Well aren't I popular? But tell me yours again, and show your face so I can remember it this time."

"Sure."

The figure pulled down his hood, revealing the face of a sixteen year old boy. His hair was pale green and well combed, with the bangs swept a little to the left side. His eyes were grey in color, and showed his calmness.

"My name is Ceris, and don't forget it." He chuckled. "You're lucky, no one but those close to us can know who we are."

"So your name is Ceris."

The boy turned around to find Reginald behind him, and he stumbled back in surprise.

"Y-you followed us?" He asked.

"A prisoner escaped from the dungeons and tried to steal the crown, and you show up out of nowhere to chase after him." Reginald pointed out. "Why wouldn't I follow you?"

Ceris regained his composure and coughed. "Good point."

"Now can you please explain how you know each other?"

"Might as well." He turned to Zack. "His name is Zack, and last night, he tried to steal fine china from the kitchens. I saw him through one of the passageways and faced him. Our fight attracted the attention of a few guards, but I managed to tie him up and leave before they arrived."

"And it was embarrassing." Zack muttered.

"But tell me, who are exactly are you?" Reginald asked Ceris.

"Well, I have no choice but to tell you." The boy said with a sigh. "I'm a member of a group who protects the town in secret. We watch this place at night, and blend in with the citizens by day. We are tasked by the Royal Family with this task. We are known to them as the Secret Guard.

"If you're supposed to be secret," Reginald was suspicious. "Why did you tell me this?"

"Given the circumstances, I had to tell you."

Zack yawned. "Excuse me, but weren't we just about to fight?" He asked. "Don't keep me waiting!"

"Oh, that's right!" Ceris remembered.

They readied their swords once more, their eyes locked on each other in determination.

"I've been waiting for my payback since I got arrested." Zack said with a scowl.

"You're not getting away tonight!" Ceris declared. "I will have you locked up permanently!"

Then he started to run towards him, blade ready to strike, and Zack raised his sword in defense.

Then everyone fell to their knees as the ground shook violently, and a bright light appeared in the night sky, a small distance away from them. They looked up at it in amazement.

"What is that?" Reginald asked.

Then something started to come out of it. The head came first; Black and draconic, with razor sharp teeth bared, and bright red eyes that glared without a blink. Then came the thick neck. After that was a monstrous, gigantic body, and finally, a long tail with a spiked ball at the tip followed.

A dragon as large as a mansion had appeared, and it was heading straight for the town.


	3. Faith

Author's Note: Hello readers! He we are, the second chapter of X-Over Chronicles Vol.2! Let me just say, I'm excited that I'm able to work on this! But I really don't know how I'm doing, so reviews are appreciated. Let me know what you think! Now let's get this started!

"Well, I'll just leave you to that!" Zack said hastily as he started to run. "See ya!"

"Wait!" Reginald was about to go after him, but Ceris stopped him.

"He's right." The Secret Guard pointed out. "We have something more serious to attend to."

They looked up at the dragon above them, and Reginald nodded. "Alright, what do we do?"

"Hmm…we can't take it head on, that would be suicide."

"We have to do something about it, the town will be wiped out in seconds!"

Then pools of darkness appeared around them, and they stepped back in alarm. From the ground came pig-like warriors who wielded machetes, some of them sporting shields. Their back eyes locked on to the duo in front of them, and they raised their weapons in a battle cry.

"This could get messy." Reginald readied his spear. Ceris did the same with his sword.

"Be careful." He warned. Then a sound like something colliding with glass rang in his ears, and he looked up to see the dragon bashing its head against what appeared to be a transparent dome that surrounded the town. With every bang, the shield flashed like a light.

"A magical wall." He noted. "This must have been made to protect the area."

"But will it hold?" Reginald asked cautiously.

As if on cue the dragon roared and breathed in. After inhaling a decent amount of air, it exhaled a wildfire that stretched to the top of the dome. The shield held on for a moment before it finally started to crack under the pressure.

Ceris gasped. "Look out!" He said as he tackled Reginald, who yelped, to the ground. Then he shut his eyes and concentrated on protecting them. "Barrier!"

A blue bubble surrounded them just as the dome shattered and fragments of it shot out. The monsters around them, who were distracted by the dragon, screamed as they were impaled by the shards and turned to dust. Ceris and Reginald yelled as their barrier was broken and they flew back.

The boy groaned and got to his feet. Once again, he looked at the dragon. It was still floating right there, not doing a single thing, much to his confusion. Then he realized why when he saw what came next: A red and black portal appeared over the town, and two dozen black figures dropped down from it.

"An invasion." Ceris looked down to see Reginald getting up as well. He rubbed his side and winced. "Next time, don't push so hard."

"Sorry." Ceris said sheepishly. He looked at the walls of the town and glared. "We need to protect the town, come on!"

Reginald nodded, and they started to run.

The townspeople were screaming as they tried to escape from the creatures that fell from the sky. They were black, tentacled beings with strange marks on their bodies, and shield-like masks on their faces. While most of them made it to the gates, a few stragglers were still running around, trying to avoid being cornered.

A man and a woman were sprinting through an alley when one of the monsters walked in front of them. They turned around, only to find another one behind them. Then stone spikes dropped down, creating a magical barrier to prevent their escape. They could only hold onto each other and scream as the monsters closed the distance.

At the gates of the castle, a militia was fighting a small group of the beasts. Out of the five attackers, two were left. With a shout two soldiers crossed their blades and struck down the fourth one. The rest surrounded the survivor.

Then they dropped their weapons, screamed, and covered their ears as it let out a high-pitched call. When it ended, they all looked up to see the monsters they had killed alive once again.

A woman and her son of thirteen were making their way to the west entrance of town. He wore a simple brown shirt, and a pair of blue shorts. His hair was white and hung over his right eye, and the one uncovered was blue. Clutched in his arms was a weathered, black book.

"Hurry Hart!" His mother shouted frantically. "We're almost there!"

The gate was close, just a little farther and they would be safe.

Then a monster came from an adjacent alley and blocked it off. Hart and his mother gasped and turned around, only to find two more blocking their path. The spikes came down, and the barrier appeared.

No escape.

"Mother, what are we going to do?" He asked in fright.

She looked at him sadly, knowing there was no way they could survive. But she had do something, she couldn't let her boy die like this. So she pushed him up against the wall, and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry." She said comfortingly. "Momma will take care of everything." Then she steeled her gaze and approached the monster at the gate.

It seemed to stare at her, growling as it did so. She spread out her arms, meeting it's gaze bravely.

"If you want my boy, you have to go through me!" She declared.

The beast tilted it's head for a second, then raised a claw high and brought it down on the her. With a scream she fell back.

"Mother!" Hart shouted.

The three monsters bounded towards him, and he shut is eyes. They were only feet away from him, and approaching fast. His mother was dead, and he was going to be next.

"I don't want to die…" He sobbed. "Someone, please help me."

They had now surrounded him, and the one in the middle raised it's claw.

Then a miracle happened, right there.

A ball of fire came down and struck the monster in the face. It hissed and clutched the flames, trying to put them out. They all stepped backed, surprised at the interruption.

Then someone in a black cloak landed in front of Hart

He looked at him curiously. "Who are you?"

"I'm your savior." The man answered. "Now stand back, because this will get ugly."

Hart nodded and ran to the gate. The man brought up his fists, which were protected by a pair of brown leather gloves.

"Who's first?" He asked the creatures.

The one he set on fire lunged at him. He sidestepped the attack, causing it to face plant into the wall. Then drew back his fist, and it was set on fire. Jabbed it in its side, and it screeched. Then he raised his leg and brought his foot down on it's back. It crashed into the ground, and stayed motionless.

"Predictable." The man said.

Then the other took a swipe at him and he ducked under it. He hit its side with a right hook and came up with an uppercut. It fell back and hit the ground with a 'thud'. He turned to the last one.

"You're next." He said.

Then it let out an ear-splitting screech making, him cover his ears and scream. When it ended, he panted and took a look around. To his surprise, the monsters he had killed were alive and back on their feet.

"What!?" He said.

Then they lunged at him, and he scrambled to dodge them. With a yell, he fought back with punches to their abdomens and chests. But the last one screeched again, and they were brought to life.

And so it continued, until the man was tired out.

He panted, and bent over to catch his breath. "This…is impossible." He said.

Hart watched the fight with worry. His rescuer was losing, and was running out of energy. He was going to die because of him.

He took a deep breath, and tightened his hold on the book. He ran past the monsters and stood in front of the man, who gasped in surprise.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"You protected me, now I'm protecting you." Hart answered.

The monsters leered at him, and approached.

"You're going to die!"

"I don't care! I'm not going to let anyone else die like my mother! I won't let you die for me!"

They were closer.

"Just get out of here!"

"No!" The book flashed white briefly. "They have us trapped, there's no way to escape. Our only hope is to beat them, you're too tired. So falls to me to kill them!"

"What makes you so sure?"

"My mother…" The light grew more intense. "She always said…"

(Wait, that book…)

The monsters were now right in front of Hart. The one in front raised its claw.

"To have faith!"

A ray of white light struck the area around him. The three monsters screeched as they were disintegrated in the blast. Dust was scattered everywhere as buildings collapsed around the man and the boy. A moment later, it cleared up.

The man sat up with a groan band looked around. The street was in ruins, and the gate was blocked off, but the barrier wasn't there anymore. A mountain of rubble looked steep, but climbable.

(The castle.) He thought. (If I can make it there, the boy will be safe.)

He looked down. Hart was covered in dirt, and unconscious, but fine. The man tried to get up, but gasped in pain and fell to his knees. His ribs were broken, and the air was too warm. He took off his hood to relieve himself of t heat.

Underneath it was a boy of fifteen, with somewhat spiky red hair and grey eyes. His forehead was beaded with sweat, and he was panting.

Still, he grabbed Hart and lifted him up. He secured him on his back and took a deep breath.

Then he started the slow and painful climb up the rubble.

"What was that?" Reginald asked.

He and Ceris had just finished dealing with a trio of the monsters that fell from the sky. After a few trial and errors, Ceris deduced that they had to strike them all simultaneously. Things became easier after that. Now they were standing at the east gate, which was the only one not flooded with refugees.

They had seen a ray of light strike near the west gate and heard the sound of buildings being demolished.

"That was powerful light magic!" Ceris exclaimed.

"An enemy sorcerer?"

"Maybe. We have to find out!"

"They may be aiming for the castle."

"Then we have to hurry!"

And they took off towards the plaza, where the castle gates awaited.

Somewhere in the fields, Zack slowed to a stop. He looked down, as if in thought. Then he groaned in frustration and planted his sword in the ground.

"What is wrong with me!?" He shouted to the heavens.

After a moment he calmed down and took a deep breath.

"What was it you always used to say, Dad?"


	4. Warriors of Time

Author's Note: So…it's been a long time since I posted a chapter, and I'm sorry about that! I've just been spending a lot of time with a group of Role-Players on Gamefaqs, in case you were wondering what I was doing. But still, I have the this one up, and I'm sorry that I took so long!

The boy limped into the plaza, with Hart still unconscious on his back.

He noticed the guards fighting some monsters at the gates and quickly made his way to the fountain. He laid Hart down, and sat beside him. His body was shaking from fatigue, and his vision was starting to blur, but he still held on.

(That kid did quite a number on me.) He thought with a pained grin. He looked at the book in the boy's hand. (But what is the deal with that book? Maybe Ceris will know.) He peeked over the fountain.

The guards were tired, but still holding off the monsters. One of them got knocked aside and crashed into the wall.

(I just hope he gets here in time.)

"Get out of my way!" Ceris yelled as he stabbed a monster in the abdomen. At the same time, Reginald swept a monster off its feet and drove his spear into its back.

With their opponents gone, the barrier disappeared, and they immediately continued running. They turned a corner and stopped. Ceris leaned on a wall, and tried to catch his breath. Reginald was clearly tired, but he stood straight up and pointed at something ahead of them.

"Look." He said.

Ceris turned his head and saw a group of guards fighting the monsters. The defenders were slowly being pushed back, and one of them was knocked out.

"This is not good." He said. Then he spotted something out of the corner of his eye and gasped.

There, by the fountain, were two boys. One was younger with white hair and unconscious, while the other had red hair and was trying to stay awake. Ceris ran over to them and dropped to his knees.

"Aaron!" He said to the red head.

"Hey…" Aaron tried to say with a smile, but he winced. "Glad you made it."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you!" Ceris trust his his hand out. "Heal!"

A wave of green energy washed over Aaron and he sighed in relief. "Thanks."

"What happened?"

"This kid happened." Aaron gestured to the boy beside him.

Ceris looked at the kid in surprised. "How-"

"He just yelled something about having faith, then some light dropped down."

"He's the one who did that!?"

"Um…excuse me?" Reginald cut in. He was behind Ceris. "But who is he?"

"Oh, right!" Ceris helped Aaron up. "This is Aaron."

"Ceris's brother, master of fire and martial arts! The second Secret Guard!" Aaron announced proudly

"I've barely even met you, and I'm starting to get annoyed." Reginald sighed. "Well, I'm Reginald, captain of the elite guard. May I ask why you just said you were a Secret Guard out loud?"

"Because you've already met my brother, so I figured he told you everything." Aaron explained.

"Good point." Reginald turned to the fight in front of the castle gates. "Now what do we do with them?"

"Easy." Aaron punched his palm. "We fight!"

"I see no other way, so we might as well." Ceris agreed. "But what about the boy?"

"Hide him in the fountain?" Aaron suggested.

"OK, but you better explain why he woke up soaking wet." Ceris picked up the boy and placed him behind the waterfall. "He should be safe right there."

"Ready?" Reginald asked.

"Let's go." Ceris answered.

Together, the three of them charged with a shout. One monster turned to them, only to be punched in the face by Aaron. The guards turned to the heroes in surprise.

"Captain Reginald!?" One guard said in amazement.

"Fall back to the castle!" Reginald ordered. "We'll take care of them!"

"R-right!" The guard turned to his men. "You heard him! Go to the castle!"

While the guards hurried through the gate, Reginald and the brothers fought the monsters. Ceris shot a ball of fire at one, setting it ablaze. Aaron gave one an uppercut, then crushed its neck with a slam. Then in unison he and Reginald attacked the last two. Ceris slashed in an X shaped, and Reginald struck with series of jabs. The monsters fell and faded away.

"Its over…" Ceris sighed.

Aaron raised his arms triumphantly. "Yeah!" He shouted. Then he gasped and pointed straight ahead. "Guys…we've got trouble."

More monsters were approaching from all sides. Ceris counted them, and sighed.

"Yep, that's the rest of them." He said. "Ten of those creatures, and three of us."

"We're outnumbered." Reginald concluded. "But still, we can't let them reach the castle."

"Uh…I hate to admit it, but you guys are in no shape for fighting." Aaron pointed out.

"Even so, we have to do it. We can't let this town fall!" Reginald shouted bravely.

Ceris nodded. "Then let's go!"

They split up and charged at the wave of monsters.

Aaron delivered a quick punch to one monster, then gave it an uppercut, and finished it with a roundhouse kick. Next, he set his fists on fire and delivered a barrage of punches to a second one, and topped it off with a drop kick. Then he felt something rake across his back and shouted in pain. He dropped to the ground and swept the monster behind him off its feet. Finally, he jumped up and stomped on it.

Ceris slashed a monster across its torso, then swung upwards and spun. Then he charged at another and stabbed it in the chest, then in the face. He turned around just in time to see a monster taking a swing at him. He stepped back, but his cheek was grazed. Wincing from the pain, he lunged at it and stabbed its gut. With a shout he dragged the sword up the creature's body until it came out of its head.

Reginald knocked up a monster's head with the end of his spear, exposing its throat. With great force, he thrust at it, slicing it off the creature's head. Another one came from behind Reginald and struck his right leg, making him yell. He retaliated with a spin attack and smacked the creature to the ground, then drove his spear into its head. A third lunged at him and he threw his spear to intercept it. It flew back a few feet before it got pinned to the ground.

Aaron stretched his arms and gave a tired sigh. "Is it over?" He asked.

Then a high-pitched shriek pierced through the air, making everyone cover their ears and scream.

After the noise died down, Ceris looked around and gasped. "Um…guys, take a look at that." He said nervously.

The monsters they had defeated were getting back up, with any wounds they had gotten completely healed. Reginald scanned the area, and pointed. "Over there!" He said urgently.

A lone monster was standing at the back end of the group, watching them.

"It's staying back so its brethren will protect it." Ceris noted. "With all of these monsters, we can't reach him."

Aaron groaned. "Aww…give us a break!" He complained. "This is not fair at all!"

They retreated slowly as the monsters closed in, until their backs were pressed against each other.

"We're tired, and if we keep going the enemy will only continue to attack us." Ceris said with a scowl.

"So we're going to die either way…" Reginald concluded. "Gah! I'm a failure as a knight!"

The horde had gotten pretty close.

"Hey, don't be that way!" Aaron assured with a nervous smile. "You still got me…heh heh."

"I don't know whether to call you stupid or brave." Reginald said with a sigh.

"Hey!" Aaron protested.

Then another flash of light appeared in the sky, and they all looked up in amazement.

"Is it more reinforcements?" Reginald asked apprehensively.

"If it is…I don't know if I can even hold out." Aaron said tiredly.

"Let's not jump to conclusions." Ceris said with a hopeful smile. "Maybe…it's a miracle from above."

Then one by one, three people fell from the light. As they got close to the ground, they flipped and landed on their feet. Two wore cloaks of gold and silver, while the other wore a purple and white checkered one.

The first one to step up appeared to be a young woman, wearing a blue dress with a frilly skirt that reached her knees, a holding a spell book in her right arm.

Beside her appeared to be a young man, wearing a green tunic, and sporting a sword and shield of elegant design. Oddly enough, he used his left hand to wield the sword.

The one with the purple cloak was half of the man's height, and wore a mask with the design of a fox. He only wielded a short sword in his right hand.

The woman turned to them. "Are you alright?" She asked in concern.

Ceris nodded.

"Good." The woman turned to the monsters. "Now, let's get rid of these, shall we?"

The small guy nodded and dashed towards the lone monster. He jumped up and spun like a top, then dived at it. The monster screeched as it suffered numerous cuts on its body, then fell to the ground. The warrior stopped spinning and landed on the ground.

"S-such incredible speed!" Reginald remarked. "No one can possibly do that!"

The woman smiled and turned to the cloaked man. "How about we finish the job?" She asked.

The man smiled in return and nodded, then they charged at the monsters.

Aaron grinned. "Hey, we can't let them take these guys alone!" He said. "We have to help them!" He ran into the fray with a battlecry.

Ceris was about to go after him, but Reginald grabbed his shoulder.

"Uh…I don't have my weapon." He pointed at a monster which had his spear lodge in its chest.

"Then get it back." Ceris replied before dashing into the fight.

"….Doesn't he realize it's not that easy to get a weapon from a monster?" Reginald thought out loud, before joining as well.

On the head of the dragon, a boy who looked about thirteen watched the scene in amusement. His outfit consisted of a purple cape over a lavender tunic. He had lavender hair, and wore circlet with a red gem around a purple cap.

"Well what do you know?" He said. "The hero and his lackeys arrived after all." He chuckled. "No matter. Eventually, I will gain the power to dominate this world!"


	5. Sorcerer of Darkness

Ceris sat on the ground with a tired sigh.

It hadn't taken long for them to vanquish every enemy, but the fights had taken their toll on him. Beside him, Reginald was also recovering.

"I'm glad that's over." He said, panting.

"Yeah…" Ceris agreed.

"Uh…guys," Aaron called. "What about the dragon?"

He pointed at the monster looming above them. It wasn't doing anything at the moment, but that wasn't reassuring anyone in the slightest.

Ceris was about to get up, but the cloaked woman stopped him.

"Rest." She said. "We'll take care of this."

The other two warriors nodded in agreement.

"Okay." He complied.

Then they turned around and ran up to a building. They leaped onto it, then approached the dragon.

"Ready?" The woman asked.

They nodded.

"Then jump!"

The warrior in green jumped as high as he could, but didn't reach the dragon. However, he held his shield over his head. Then the purple cloaked warrior leaped onto it, and used it to propel himself higher. He had gotten close to the head, but wasn't able to land. Then the woman came up and landed on his head, and with a burst of magic, she launched herself the rest of the way.

She landed on the back of the dragon with a huff. In front of her was the young boy in purple, glaring at her.

"You sure are persistent." He said angrily.

"We're not letting a guy like you get away that easily." She retorted. "It's time to settle this!"

Her spell book glowed, and she shot a ball of lightning at him.

"Pathetic." He said.

He held up his hand and a barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the attack.

The woman scowled. "Then take this!"

She conjured spinning tiles made of magic, then had them surround the boy, and finally directed them towards him.

He smirked and raised his hand high. A powerful wave of dark magic burst from him, breaking the tiles.

"Nice try."

"Can you take this?"

The woman jumped high, and summoned a giant cube of magic. She then aimed it at him, and with a yell, flipped back and drop kicked the cube, launching it towards him at high speed.

"What!?" He yelled in surprise before it hit him.

Shards of magic were scattered as the cube broke. The boy went flying several feet before sliding to a stop at the dragon's tail.

He scowled. "Grr…you're better than I thought."

"Now I'll finish you!"

Just as she raised her hand, he raised his, sending a gust of dark wind. The woman shrieked as she went flying over the dragon.

"That was a close one…" He thought out loud. "I'm not fit to take over the kingdom, not yet. I must do some more planning."

He got up, and turned to the dragon's head.

"Turn around, my pet." He ordered. "We're retreating, for now."

The dragon roared and turned around. A dark portal appeared, swallowing the dragon before disappearing.

Meanwhile, the woman was falling towards the fountain. She barely recovered from the attack, and had too little time to react. Then the hero clad in green dived and caught her, sending them crashing into the ground.

They groaned and sat up.

"Thank you." The woman said.

The hero smiled and nodded in return.

That's when Ceris and Reginald got up and approached them.

"Okay, I think it's about time we asked." Ceris said. "Who are you?"

"And what are you doing here?" Reginald added.

"Just wait a little longer." The woman said. "First, we need to meet with your ruler."

Reginald raised an eyebrow. "And just why would we allow suspicious people like you to have an audience with our princess?"

"Because your land is at stake, and ours as well."

"Yours as well?" Ceris repeated. "Just…where are you from?"

"Allow us to meet with the princess, and all will be answered."

"Fine." Reginald gave in. "But first, we all need to rest after what transpired tonight. We'll get to your meeting in the morning."

"Uh…guys?" Aaron called. "Shouldn't we bring the kid too?"

"Oh yeah!" Ceris remembered. "He's still hidden in the fountain. Can you carry him, brother?"

"No problem!"

Aaron ducked beneath the waterfall and picked up Hart.

"Will he be alright?"

"A fresh set of clothes and a nice, warm bed should help him! Oh, and Ceris…" Aaron held up the book. "This might interest you." He tossed it to him.

Ceris caught and examined it. "This is a spell book. But something seems off about it…" He stated. "It feels…ancient."

"Think you can find out what it is?"

"With enough time, I'm sure I can."

"Ready to go?" Reginald asked.

"Yeah!" The brothers said in unison.

Then they and the cloaked heroes made their way to the castle.

The sorcerer wandered through the woods, until he came across a clearing in the deepest part of it.

"This should do nicely." He said with a smirk.

"And just what are you doing here?" A voice called.

He turned in surprise. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

Then out of the shadows stood Zack, with his sword drawn. "You know, making a base in the forest isn't the safest way to start out an evil plan." He said with a grin.

"What do you know? Who are you anyway? And how did you follow me here?"

"I'm just the best thief around. And melding into the shadows is my speciality. I was able to follow you since you made that portal, with no repercussions."

"Then you're no ordinary human." The sorcerer stepped back. "Well, if you plan to kill me, you better prepare for your own death!"

"Just what I was planning to do." Zack rushed at him, slashing his face.

The sorcerer gasped in pain and stumbled back. "That's it!"

He shot a ball of dark magic at him, which he dodged.

"Pathetic."

The sorcerer screamed in frustration and waves of darkness emanated from him. "Just because I'm not at full power, doesn't mean you can mess with me you rat!"

Zack scowled. "Uh oh, I messed up big time."

Then the sorcerer raised his arms, and an explosion of dark magic blew Zack away.

"Aaaaah!" He screamed.

He slammed into a tree, dropping his sword, which disappeared in a streak of shadow. The sorcerer panted for a bit, then walked up to him.

"You know, I would have you killed for standing up to me." He said.

"Then why won't you?" Zack asked weakly.

The sorcerer smirked. "Because, you might be of some use to me." He reached forward, darkness surrounding his hand. "You have dark power in you, if only just a faint bit. This might help me with my plans."

"Master Vaati?"

The sorcerer in question sat on a throne made of bones.

"It's about time you showed up, Ghirahim." He scolded.

In front of him stood a young man dressed in white spandex, with diamond-shaped holes exposing bits of skin. He had a red cape over his shoulders, and white hair hid his other eye.

He bowed. "My apologies. But it was hard to track you down after getting held up by those soldiers. It was only thanks to that surge of dark power that I was able to find you."

"Where are Zant and Majora?"

"They should be on their way as well, Master."

"Good. We have much to do."

"Master, why did you release so much energy? Did someone give you trouble?"

Vaati chuckled. "Yes, but don't worry. He won't be an interference."

Ghirahim smirked. "As I would expect from you, Master."

"Are we late?" A voice called.

At the entrance to the throne room were two masked people. One was a young boy, who wore a demonic mask and clothes that looked like they would be worn by someone from a forest. The other was a man in robes that had strange symbols like the beasts that attacked the town. His mask was…very strange looking, kind of like a frog's head with a curled tongue hanging out.

"You're not." Vaati assured. "The time to plan starts now."

The boy giggled in delight. "Oh goodie!" He said happily. "It's about time we had some REAL fun!"

"Patience, Majora. We can't rush into this."

Majora pouted. "You're no fun!"

"But once the plan is set in motion, the fun will increase tenfold!" The man pointed out, laughing.

"Yay!"

Vaati smiled in amusement. "Thank you Zant."

"Oh I just can't wait! We're going to become rulers of the lands! We'll be gods!"

"Gods…yes. We'll have everyone bow down and call us gods when our plan succeeds."

"That has nice ring to it!" Ghirahim agreed, flipping his hair.

"Then let's get to planning, because our task isn't an easy one."


	6. Lost History

Author's Note: Hello readers, and my RP buddies from Gamefaqs! Here's another chapter, but that's not all! A special surprise will be at the end of the chapter! Without further ado, let's get started! The next morning, Reginald, Leah, and the three mystery warriors stood in front of the throne. Sitting on it was a beautiful girl with straight white hair, equally pale skin, and a silver dress that went down to her knees. Attached to the sleeves were dangling white ribbons. On her head was the crown from last night. When Reginald informed her that all doors were closed and locked, she looked up to the ceiling. "You can come out now." She called. Then Ceris and Aaron dropped down behind Leah, startling her. "I thought I had a heart attack!" She shouted, clutching her chest. Aaron chuckled. "Sorry!" Ceris had his attention to the princess. "Milady, as you already know, these three," He gestured to the warriors. "Wanted an audience with you. You've permitted it, and now I think we should get to what they have to say, immediately." She nodded. "Yes, but proper introductions must be made first." She looked at the warriors. "Now, who are you?" The sorceress was the first move. She removed her hood, revealing the face of a pretty girl with light blue hair. "My name is Lana." She said. Aaron elbowed Ceris. "Heh, quite the looker, am I right?" He whispered with a wink. Ceris discreetly stomped on his foot, making him wince and hop away. The swordsman in purple was next. "Call me Keaton." Ceris raised an eyebrow at the fact that he didn't remove his mask. (That's strange…) The last one took off his hood, revealing himself to be a young man with blonde hair. All he offered was an uncertain smile. "Oh yeah!" Lana remembered. "He's not really a talker…" Then everyone gasped as a little ball of light came from under the man's hair. "That's why I'm here!" It said. "My name is Proxi." It hovered around him. "And this is Link!" "Well…that's something…" Ceris said, a little surprised. "Well, I'm Ceris." "The name's Aaron!" His brother said. "Reginald." The captain said next. "I'm Leah." The guard said. "And my name is Gwen." The princess finished. "As the princess of Camelot, I welcome you to our kingdom." "It is an honor to speak with you, milady." Lana said with a curtsy. "We have come from the kingdom of Hyrule with bad news." "Hyrule? As in the parallel kingdom Hyrule? I thought that our lands weren't supposed to cross again…" "Excuse me?" Aaron interrupted. "But what are you talking about?" "I should be asking the same thing." Ceris agreed. "I've spent large amounts of time in the library, and I didn't even see a mention of Hyrule." "And there hasn't been a single word about it either." Reginald added. "That's because the memories of people who witnessed the story were altered." Lana explained. "With only the royal families knowing the true events." "Let me explain." Princess Gwen said. "You've heard of the tale of our King Arthur, correct?" "Of course!" Aaron answered. "Who hasn't heard about the guy who was chosen to be the king by pulling a special sword from its pedestal?" "There's more to that story. Around that time, a sorcerer of great darkness found his way here from Hyrule, which is a kingdom in a parallel dimension. He had ambitions to take over the land, but he didn't have enough power by himself. Then he met a girl of great magical power, and used his charms to get her to help him." "And with their combined power, they opened a huge rift between the dimensions." Lana cut in. "They were molded together, and monsters rose to wreak havoc on them. They were no match for the onslaught of darkness, and the sorcerers ruled both lands with an iron fist." "The people began to lose hope." Gwen continued. Then she smiled. "But then six heroes rose to challenge the darkness. Three of them from Camelot, and the other three from Hyrule. King Arthur was one of them. The other two from Camelot were Merlin and Lancelot." "One of the heroes from Hyrule was named Link." Lana continued. When she saw Aaron's confused face, she quickly explained. "An incarnation of a hero that went by the same name." "So this guy has had past lives?" He asked, pointing to Link. "Huh, that sounds a bit inconvenient." "Moving on. The other two heroes…they aren't listed in any records. This point in history was hidden. But that was kind of the point, so our kingdoms wouldn't know of each other." "What do you mean?" Leah asked. "Why couldn't we know of another dimension?" "Because of the troubles that knowledge would bring." Gwen answered. "Now, stay quiet while we finish the story." "The six heroes united, and resolved to fight the sorcerers." Lana continued." Led by Link, who wielded the Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane, and Arthur, who wielded Excalibur, the sword of heaven's light, they formed the Knights of the Round Table. And vanquished them." "And as the worlds began to separate, they came to one conclusion." Gwen concluded. "If they continued to stay connected, they would be in danger of each other. And so, Link and Arthur placed the swords on sacred pedestals, creating barriers that would keep the residents from the other kingdom out. A powerful magic spell was used to alter the memories of people who witnessed the event, and our kingdoms never crossed again." "So the Knights of the Round Table we know of aren't the real ones?" Ceris asked. "Only Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin?" Gwen nodded. "Correct." "Question." Aaron said. "If our lands are supposed to be separated…then why are you and your monsters over here?" "That's the problem." Lana said with a sigh. "I just don't know. The only logical conclusion is that Excalibur was taken out of its pedestal, but where that is…nobody is supposed to know. Even if somebody did know where it was, they would have to go through a guardian to obtain it." "Hmm…this is quite the situation…" Ceris muttered. "If we only knew where Excalibur was, then we could check to see if it's still there." "I might have a solution. " Gwen suggested. "One part of King Arthur's story tells of a Lady in the Lake who gave him Excalibur. If we can find her, then maybe she could know where the sword is." "I would say that's just a myth…" Reginald said. "But with how crazy everything has gotten, I'll take anything that can solve our problem." "If she resides in a lake, then we know of three places where we can look." Ceris said. "Aurum, Argentum, Aes. We need to split up in order to make a proper search." "Then we'll do that." Reginald agreed. "Then it's settled." Gwen said. "Our visitors, Ceris, Aaron, Reginald, and Leah, you are tasked with travelling to the three lakes in order to find the Lady of the Lake." "Yes, Your Highness!" They all said. And they walked out of the throne room, and into the hall. "But I have to warn you." Lana said. "Our path will not be an easy one. Dark forces will try to stop us, and we need to be prepared." Leah thought about last night. "Like those things from last night?" "Yes." Keaton answered. "And there's someone who's controlling them." "The sorcerer that we told you about." Lana explained gravely. "The one who wants to rule our kingdoms. The sorcerer of darkness, Vaati, and he's not alone this time. He's brought other powerful allies to back him up, so we must be careful." "Nothing we can't handle!" Aaron boasted. "We're the Secret Guard! It's our job to vanquish evil!" "Don't get so confident brother." Ceris said, but he cracked a smile. Lana laughed. "At least someone's excited." Then she frowned. "Wait, what about the boy that we brought in?" "Oh right. We still haven't figured out what to do with him." Reginald said. "Well…how about we take him to the orphanage?" Leah suggested. "We're going to Argentum Lake, and the orphanage is on the way there." "Hmm…" He nodded. "Good idea. Let's go tell him." "If you don't mind," Ceris cut in. "I would like to talk to him as well." "Why?" "It's about his book…I have a feeling that I know what it is." Reginald thought about it. "Well…just don't put any sensitive questions on the kid. He's been through a lot." Ceris nodded. "Of course. Thank you." He followed them down the right side of the hall. "So…what do we do while we wait?" Aaron asked, stretching. "Hmm…I want to take a look around." Lana said with a smile. She turned to Link and Keaton. "Do you want to?" "Might as well." Keaton said. "I want to see what this place is like too!" Proxi added. Link nodded. "Sounds good to me!" Aaron agreed. "Let me change out, then I'll give you the tour!" He broke into a run, then jumped onto the wall, and leaped from that one to another. - Aaron: Hello my adoring fans! Ceris: Aaron, you're just making a fool of yourself with all that waving. Aaron: Hey, it's a crowd. You need to please them. Ceris: Can we just get on with this? Me: Alright folks! From now on, we'll be holding a character Q/A! Ask a character from this volume a question, and they'll answer it. Ceris: Fan mail…just don't go overboard. Aaron: Aww…don't be like that brother! You're a hero, you deserve a bunch of fans! Ceris: I'm not so sure about this... Me: It's not like they're going to ask for something really personal. Ceris: Yeah…you're right. Heh, well I hope I can answer whatever questions you have for me. Aaron: That's the spirit! Me: So, with that out of the way, I bid you farewell until next time! And I hope you can review, so I can know how I'm doing! All: Goodbye! 


	7. The Journey Begins

Hart lay on the bed, looking down sadly.

(Mother….she's really….)

He put his head on his knees and sobbed. Why did she have to die? If only he had been strong enough…

"Always have faith!"

That's what Hart's mother would say when he was feeling down. Now he had to remind himself to look on the bright side of things.

(But are there any bright sides to this situation?)

Then the door opened, and he turned his head. It was the nice lady, the somewhat intimidating man, and one of the guys in black cloaks.

"Hello." She greeted kindly.

"Hi…" Hart said warily.

"So…we have some good news! My friend Reginald," She gestured to the man. "And I are going to take you to the orphanage."

"Oh…" Hart knew this was coming sooner or later.

"Oh don't be like that! You can make some new friends."

"But it's not going to feel like home…"

"Maybe not." Reginald agreed. "But someday, you might adopted into a new home. You don't have any choice left, ,might as well take it."

Hart sighed. "Alright…"

Leah nodded. "Good. Now, before we leave, I would like to know your name."

"It's…Hart."

"Well Hart, let me introduce myself. I'm Leah. You've met Reginald, and that," She gestured to the guy in the cloak. "Is Ceris."

"Nice to meet you." Ceris said. "Now, before we leave, I would like to speak to you Hart. Leah and Reginald, could you please wait outside?"

They nodded and stepped out of the room. Once the door was closed, Ceris sat on the bed.

"You're probably wondering why I want to speak with you." He guessed.

"Yes…" Hart answered, curious.

"Well, it has to do with your book. Do you still have it?"

Hart hesitated, then nodded. He reached under his pillow and took out the item.

"Where'd you get that?" Ceris asked.

"It was…a birthday gift from my mother." Hart explained. "She said that she bought it from a strange travelling merchant."

"Hmm…(How would a merchant have gotten his hands on this?) Do you know what you're holding right now?"

"I thought it was a journal for me to write in..now I'm not sure because of last night."

"Would you believe me if I told you that the book once belonged to Merlin?"

Hart was surprised. "Merlin…as in…THE Merlin!?"

Ceris nodded. "Yes. There's very powerful magic laced in that book. There's bound to be all sorts of spells in there as well, but you'll apparently have to find them yourself."

"I have Merlin's spell book….I don't think I should be keeping this."

Hart tried to give it to Ceris, but he pushed it back and shook his head.

"No." He said. "That's yours. I'm sure that you're meant to hold it. Why? I'm not sure, but fate gave you that book for a reason. You'll just have to find out."

"O-okay." Hart said. "But last night was my only experience with magic…I'm afraid that I'll hurt somebody."

"Believe me, I know that feeling. But when trouble comes your way, don't let fear get to you. Control your emotions, and let the magic flow."

"Let the magic flow…"

Hart put his hands together and made a motion like he was in a prayer, and closed his eyes.

(I have this power…now I must find a way to use it.) He thought. (I don't know why I have it, but I'm sure I'll find the answer somewhere…)

A surge of warmth enveloped his hands, and he opened his eyes. He opened his hands, and a ball of orange light floated in his palms. He stared at it in awe.

Ceris smiled. "Don't forget, you are capable of miracles."

"There's the barber." Aaron, now without his cloak and carrying a bag, pointed out. "Gives very good haircuts!"

"Ever thought about getting one?" Proxi joked.

Link grinned at him.

"Huh?" Aaron glanced at his hair and glared at them. "Okay, rule one: Never cut the hair."

"That explains why it looks like a bird's nest." Keaton said, amusement in his voice.

"Hey!"

Lana tried to stifle a laugh, but Aaron heard her.

"Not you too!"

"I'm sorry!" She said. "But you really do need a haircut!"

"Oh come on!"

"Hey!" Reginald called.

They turned to see him, Leah, Ceris, who also took off his cloak and carried a bag, and the boy walking towards them.

"Did you have a nice tour?" Leah asked.

"Yep!" Lana answered happily. "Avalon is so nice! Kind of makes me wish that we could go explore some other towns."

"Who knows, maybe you will." Reginald said. "Once all of this is over, you can do what you'd like."

"We'll see." She glanced at the boy, who ducked behind Leah shyly. "And we never got his name, did we?"

"It's Hart." He said.

"I take it that he agreed to go to the orphanage?"

"It's not like he has a choice." Reginald said. "He would have been sent off sooner or later. Might as well do it now before the negative emotions come in."

"Um…are you sure he'll be alright?" Aaron asked curiously. "He doesn't look handy in a fight."

"He'll be fine." Ceris assured. "Now we need to figure out how our groups will split."

He pulled out a map and opened it. It revealed the layout of the kingdom in fine detail. A field stretched out from Avalon in every direction until it it changed into various landscapes. The north appeared to be covered in snow, while the south was a vast desert. To the east were some mountains, while the west had forests. Scattered around the map were little dots. Large circles of blue at the desert, forest and mountains indicated the lakes.

"Reginald and Leah are taking Hart to the orphanage at Etna, which is near lake Aes." He explained, pointing at the dot bordering the mountains. "They'll be fine the way they are, but it's the rest of us that need a little thinking."

He pointed at the lakes in the desert and forest. "Aurum, to the south, and Argentum, to the west." He looked at Lana. "As you are unfamiliar with the land, you'll need one of us to go with you."

"Makes sense." She agreed. "But whoever is left behind will need someone to go with them…"

"And that begs the question: How are we going to split up?"

Everyone was silent as they tried to think of a solution. Then Aaron's face brightened.

"I got it!" He said enthusiastically. "I can go with Link and Keaton to Aurum, while you and Lana can go to Argentum."

The four of them exchanged quizzical looks.

"Why?" Ceris asked.

"Think about it. The three of us form a sort of delta. Keaton has speed, Link has a sort of defensive role, and I can provide my strength and a little magic. We'd be able to handle a lot of things if we worked together."

"That's…actually smart. But me and Lana?"

"You're a tactician, and she seems to have a fair bit of smarts as well. Combine yours and Lana's powerful magics as well as your sword skills, and the both of you can be a great force."

Ceris was impressed. "Wow, you really thought this through. Good job."

Aaron grinned. "Did you have any doubt?"

"Knowing what you have gotten into, I can honestly say that I never thought of you as a smart guy."

"Come on brother, I have my moments."

"So are we in agreement?" Lana asked them.

They all nodded, and it was settled.

"Hey, kid." Reginald said as they left Avalon behind. "You gonna be alright?"

Hart shrugged. "I guess…it's just…hard. I never thought that such a thing could happen, you know?"

"Yeah…but try and cheer up. I'm sure you'll make new friends at Etna, and maybe get adopted by a nice family."

"Maybe…"

Leah ruffled his hair affectionately. "You'll be fine." She ran past the boys, leaving them startled. "Hurry up! We have to get there as soon as we can! A world in danger doesn't like slowpokes!"

"Hey! Wait up!" Reginald called, chasing her.

"Don't forget me!" Hart followed.

Leah laughed as they sped across the field, and into an adventure that would change their lives.


	8. Trouble in Etna

It was afternoon by the time Reginald's group reached their destination.

Behind a steel gate was the figure of a village, with a bell tower rising above the buildings. The whole place was built under the shade of the mountains.

"We're here." Reginald announced.

"Wait a minute…" Leah squinted. "Are those…guards at the gates?"

"What?" He drew a little closer for a better look. "You're right…"

"Is something wrong?" Hart asked worriedly.

Reginald scowled and drew his spear. "I don't know, but we have to find out."

He ran towards the gate, and Leah and Hart quickly followed him.

The guards blocked their way when they approached.

"Halt!" The one on the right ordered.

"Who goes there?" The other one asked.

Reginald stepped up to them, chest puffed out to show off his cross. The guards gasped in surprise and stepped back.

"Wait…y-you're…" The first one stammered.

"Captain of Camelot's elite guard." Reginald finished. "May I ask what's going on here?"

"Er…nothing!"

"Really?"

The guards cowered under Reginald's glare, but they didn't answer.

"Fine, suit yourself." He glanced at Leah. "Leah, could you help me out here?"

Seconds later, they opened the gate and rushed into the village, leaving the pair of knocked out guards behind. They stopped when they saw what was happening.

"What's…going on?" Leah asked in shock.

Around the village, people could be seen building structures for war. Catapults… battering rams…swords, shields, bows and arrows, and spears as well…

The distant sounds of mining, groans and shouts could be heard as well. In the distance, a few kids watched the scene with fear in their eyes.

Supervising all of this were soldiers, who stood over the villagers with their weapons drawn, ready to strike in case somebody tried to run away. Archers stood atop the buildings, and it looked like someone was at the bell tower too.

"What's going on here!?" Reginald demanded.

Everyone turned to him. While the villagers grew hopeful, the soldiers immediately took to surrounding Reginald's group. He and Leah had their weapons ready, while Hart hid behind her. Their enemies closed in, ready to strike.

"Hold it!" Someone from the back commanded.

They crowd parted to reveal a tall man with long red hair. He wore gold plated armor, and a longsword hung at his side.

"And who do we have here?" He asked. Then he saw Reginald's cross and smirked. "Ah…a captain, I take it?"

"Of the elite guard, yes." Reginald confirmed. "My lieutenant and I were asked to escort this child to the orphanage." He gestured to Hart. "Then we saw the state this village was in. So tell me…" He glared. "What is going on here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The man opened his arms wide, gesturing to the whole village. "We're preparing for war!"

"Against what?"

"Why, against the whole kingdom of Camelot!"

"What!?" Leah and Reginald shouted in shock.

"Yes!" The man confirmed. "The riches we could acquire! The tales that would be told! The reign of Arthur's family has been going on for far too long! It is time for a new ruler to take their place!" He his smirk turned into a crazy smile. "And that ruler will be me! Etzel!"

Reginald scowled and pointed his spear at him. "You're crazy if you think you can get away with this! As captain of the elite guard, I am authorized to eradicate any threat to the kingdom!"

"What can you do? Take a closer look, you're outnumbered! Even if you put up a fight, the chances are next to nothing for you to survive!"

"That's just a risk I'm willing to take!"

Reginald yelled and swiftly swung at Etzel. The man drew his sword in the blink of an eye and knocked the spear away.

"What…" Reginald muttered in shock as he stumbled back.

"I warned you." Etzel pointed out. He sheathed his sword and walked away, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. "Get them boys."

The soldiers let out battle cries and charged towards the party. The only thing Reginald saw before blacking out was a swarm of armored bodies trampling him.

He when he came to, he found himself tucked into a bed. He groaned and slowly sat up, touching his throbbing forehead.

"Gah…I can't believe this…" He said angrily.

He looked around and saw several other beds like his, and a curtain obscuring one of them. A desk stood at the back of the room.

"Where I am I?" He whispered to himself.

Then he saw the curtain jerk a bit, and froze.

(Am I seeing things?)

It jerked again, and he slowly got off the bed. He looked around for his weapon, but couldn't find it.

(Where did it go?)

The curtain gave another jerk, and he shook his head.

(Forget it, I can do this myself.)

With a look of determination, he tiptoed towards the curtain. His pulse began to quicken from the anticipation. When he reached the curtain, he hid behind it and listened. Shuffling could be heard behind the wall of cloth.

(What is it?)

He crept out of his hiding spot and took a look. What, or rather who he saw made him begin blushing bright red. He made a strangled gasp, and a shriek followed a second later.

"Don't look at me!" Leah shouted. "Get out!"

Reginald scrambled away, embarrassment written all over his face.

Later, they sat on opposite beds, looking away from each other. Things were completely silent, and Reginald was thinking on what to say. Once he thought of something, he looked at Leah.

"Um…sorry about that." He apologized. "I didn't think there would be somebody changing behind that curtain."

Leah sighed. "Well, what did you think would be behind it?"

"An attacker…or another monster."

"Oh Arthur…Reginald, I think your fighting instincts have knocked away some of your common sense."

He groaned. "I really need to learn…."

"I-it's alright."

"So…" Reginald tried to change the subject. "Where are we?"

"We're in the orphanage. The caretakers came and dragged us all in here. I just woke up not long before you did."

"What about Hart?"

Leah smiled. "He's made a new friend already." She put a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh.

Reginald raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"Just see for yourself."

She grabbed his hand and led him out of the room, entering a hallway. She pulled him along to a set of stairs and they walked down. They entered a room with a couple dozen boys and girls of varying ages, with the youngest being five and the oldest being sixteen.

The younger ones lay huddled on the floor while the older ones walked around, handing out food and drinks. Reginald looked around the room until he spotted Hart in the corner, chatting with a girl around his age. He appeared to be quite happy to be there.

"Do you see him?" Leah asked, grinning.

"Yeah, I see him." Reginald said, chuckling.

"Oh goodness!" An elderly lady approached them. "You're awake! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Reginald assured. "Thank you for taking us in."

"It's my pleasure!" The lady smiled kindly.

"Leah! Reginald!"

They turned to see Hart and the girl running up to them. A smile was plastered on his face,

"You're awake." Hart said with a sigh of relief.

"And better than ever kid." Reginald ruffled his hair, then turned to the girl. "And who is this?"

The girl looked down shyly. "Um…my name is Elya F. Nagorm."

"Wow, that's rather mouthy." Leah noted. "How about we just call you Elya?"

"Y-yes, Miss Leah."

"Now," Reginald looked at the caretaker. "Onto business. We heard from Etzel that the soldiers here are planning an uprising. But when did all of this start?"

The lady sighed sadly. "It was just last night, actually. Around that time, a strange boy came here and talked to Etzel. Whatever he said must have caused the man to begin this conquest and hold us all prisoner. Now the people are mining for the metals our part of the land is known for so they can be forged into weapons. Everyone's oppressed, and the children are scared."

"That's horrible…" Leah said sympathetically.

"These actions…" Reginald grit his teeth angrily. "They are not what an honorable knight should do. We need to get out of here and stop Etzel's plans!"

A rather pretty looking man with pale skin and white hair was listening to them, smirking. He wore a simple blue shirt and pants.

"But there's a big problem…" Leah said. "Our weapons were taken, so we have no way to fight him and his men off. The liberation will be impossible."

"I think I can help with that." The man walked over to them.

"Who are you?" Reginald asked in suspicion.

The man chuckled and flipped his hair. "My name is Ghirahim. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh this gentleman came by an hour earlier!" The caretaker said fondly. "So sweet and charming, and the children seem to adore him."

"I came by to see if I could adopt a child. Sadly, I saw what was going on in the town, and was thrown in here."

"Well, what can you do about our dilemma?" Reginald questioned. "You're about as helpless as the rest of us."

"Not quite. I think I can help free everyone here, but you will need to listen to me."

"Okay." Reginald nodded. "Speak."

"I snuck up to the bell tower and found the guard sleeping. So I took the time to examine the town thoroughly. People are mining nearby, and beside the site is where Etzel's quarters are. I saw my weapon being taken there, and I'm sure yours are there as well."

"Okay…then how do we get them back?"

"Simple, we cause a distraction, and one of us can sneak into the building and steal the weapons. Then we can start our liberation."

"It's our best shot…but what do we do about the guard at the bell tower?"

"Oh you don't have to worry about him." The caretaker cut in. "We'll have him covered over here, you just focus on the guards outside."

"I'll take your word for it." Reginald complied.

"Then are we all in?" Ghirahim asked.

"Yes."

"I'm in." Leah said.

"But what about me?" Hart asked sadly.

"Hart…" Leah put a hand on his shoulder. "You aren't strong enough to do this, I'm sorry. You'll have to stay in here, and be safe. Just help the lady, that'll be enough."

"Okay…"

"Then rest up everyone." Reginald said. "Our operation starts tomorrow, and we'll need the rest."

"Then I'll bid you good night." Ghirahim said, walking away. Once he was out of sight, his smirk turned devilish. (Yes…it's just like Master said. The heroes came here, and now the plan pushes forward. Will his bride show herself here?) He chuckled. (I certainly hope the circumstances make her.)


	9. Rally For Freedom

Author's Note: Wow, it's already been a nearly year since the start of X-Over Chronicles and my hobby as a writer. And it's nearly my 18th birthday too…man time flies. I wish to thank you readers for giving this a go, especially my RP buddies from Gamefaqs. I don't know what will happen after this, but I'll try to keep up with my content. Now let's get this chapter started!

….

Hart was still awake that night.

He slipped off of his bed and snuck out of the room. Then he headed downstairs and crept up to the window.

Upon taking a peek, he saw a few guards patrolling the town. He sighed and sat down.

"What am I going to do?" He asked himself.

"That's a good question."

He looked up, startled.

It was Elya in a yellow nightgown. Her normally wavy purple hair was in curls. She looked absolutely radiant in the moonlight.

"Elya, what are you doing here?" Hart asked, blushing faintly.

"I couldn't sleep either, and I thought I heard someone." She answered, sitting beside him. "Now I know it was you. What diyou come down here for?"

He sighed. "I just…needed to do some thinking."

"About what?"

"Well…" He twiddled his thumbs. "I just…feel so useless, you know? I don't want to be left out of this fight, but I don't know how to help…"

"Didn't you say you had magic?"

"Yeah…but I'm not sure if I can control it. What if I make things even worse for everyone?"

Elya hummed in thought. "Well, whenever I do something, I just try my best to…" She pointed at the candle on the table. "Focus."

A tiny flame appeared on the candle, and Hart looked at it in amazement.

"Don't let anything distract you." Elya continued. "You just need to be at ease, and embrace the magic. If you can prevent yourself from letting your emotions run loose, then you can have control."

Hart looked at his hand curiously, then pointed at the flame, intending to extinguish it. He concentrated on it hard, his arm shaking from the strain. Then the glass holding the wax shattered, and he flinched. Elya flicked her hand, making the flame go away before it grew.

Hart sighed sadly. "I can't do this…"

"You just need practice." Elya assured. "I've had years to grow used to my power."

"True…" Hart looked at her. "I forgot to ask. How did you feel when you first discovered your magic?"

She rocked back and forth. "I was…scared, to be honest. I didn't know what to do with it. Then as I practiced with it, I began to learn that it wasn't a bad thing. I used magic to help the other children, from a retrieving a cat stuck in a tree, to chasing off bullies." Then she sighed sadly. "But while they appreciated me…the adults didn't."

"Is that why…you haven't been adopted yet?" Hart asked carefully.

"Yeah…they think that I'm sort of bad omen. They say that they can sense a sort of…evil presence in my power."

"That's not right…"

"But to be honest." Elya looked down in shame. "They have a point. Recently, whenever I use magic…It's like there's another person speaking to me in my mind. She whispers of darkness and power….of her one true master and him ruling the world…" She started shaking. "I don't know what's wrong with me…."

"Elya…" Hart put a hand on her shoulder. "You're a good person, I'm sure of it. Even if your magic is dark, that doesn't mean it can't be used for good purposes."

"You're right." She smiled. "Maybe I can show them that it can. And maybe you can learn to control yours too."

"Maybe…" He sighed. "But…there's something else that's on my mind."

"What is it?"

"Well…I'm supposed to stay here…but I don't really want to. But I don't know where I'm going to go either, so it's not like I actually have a choice in the matter."

"Ah…I see the problem. Well, think about it for a second. If there was someone you knew that you would want to stay with, who would it be?"

Hart closed his eyes and tried to think. (Who would I want to stay with?)

Images of Leah and Reginald flashed in his mind, and he gasped.

"Who is it?" Elya asked.

"Leah and Reginald…" he muttered. "But…would they even want to take me? They were the ones who brought me here."

"I don't know." She got up. "But for what it's worth, you are a nice boy Hart."

She walked to the steps, and looked back, a smile on her face.

"Thanks for the talk. I think we both needed it."

Then she walked up the steps, leaving Hart to think about his problem.

He brought out his book, and gazed at it sadly. "Merlin...what would you do?"

…

The next morning, Reginald, Ghirahim and Leah walked out of the orphanage, hands behind their heads. The guards rushed over and took hold of them. They dragged them along to the captain's quarters, where the man himself awaited.

"Well now." Etzel sneered. "Decided to give up?"

"There's nothing we can do." Reginald said with a scowl. "You have us beat. Just do what you want with us."

"Hmm…" Etzel turned looked at the guards. "Take them to the other miners, and make sure they're secured."

"Yes sir!" The guards shouted, and pulled the prisoners away.

They took them to nearby mountains, where men both young and old struck at the rock with pickaxes, revealing bits of silver and other precious metals. More noises could be heard from the gaping hole in the ground that was the entrance to the caverns, and someone would occasionally come out with some ore to set it down. Guards watched the scene closely, weapons drawn.

Reginald glanced at the small white house they were passing by. He figured that was the captain's quarters, but he needed to be sure.

The guards took them into the caverns, which was dark, save for the guard's lanterns, and filled with dust. Leah coughed from suffocating environment. The clanking and groaning grew louder, until they eventually saw light and shadows ahead of them.

They were now in the underground mines.

Around a large, dimly lit room, men could be seen striking at the stone with all of their might in a repetitive motion. Their bodies were covered with dust, and they looked like they hadn't slept for days. Yet they continued to work underneath the watchful eyes of the guards.

The ones holding Reginald's trio led them to a less crowded part of the room, and put shackles on them. Then they secured the shackles onto an iron stake in the ground, and gave the prisoners some pickaxes.

"Get to work." One of the guards ordered, and they walked away.

"We're here." Reginald whispered. "Now it's time to stir everyone."

"Not quite." Ghirahim corrected. "We need a guard to come by first, then we take him out. That'll give our fellow prisoners the moral needed to rebel."

"Right." Leah agreed. "Once we're outside, one of us needs to get our weapons from the captain's quarters. I assume that's the house we saw before we came in here?"

"Yes."

"Hey!"

They turned to see a guard approaching them, and stood to attention.

"Just what are you whispering about there?" He asked in suspicion.

"Well sir," Ghirahim said. "We're too close together to actually do mining. We were wondering if we could ask to be a little more…separate."

"Nobles and their stupid problems…" The guard shook his head. "Alright, let me get a longer chain."

Once he turned, Ghirahim gave Reginald a wink, which he returned with a nod. Then he lifted his pickaxe and struck the back of the guard's head with a heavy blow.

A sickening crunch sounded as the guard's skull was cracked, and he crumpled. Ghirahim quickly crouched down and frisked for the keys as cries of shock began to echo around the room. He found them, and unlocked their shackles.

Then they charged with their substitute weapons raised, as a few guards went to apprehend them. They were met with hard strikes to their sides and skulls. They fell to the ground, out cold. The other prisoners watched the scene with amazement.

Reginald and Leah found some keys on the guards' belts, and they worked with Ghirahim to free everyone from their shackles. Once that was over with, they gathered them into a crowd, and Reginald stood in front of them.

"Attention everyone!" He shouted. "My name is Reginald, captain of the elite guard from Avalon! My friends and I plan to liberate Etna from its oppression!"

The men whispered to each other, unsure of what to make of this.

"However…we cannot do this by ourselves!" Reginald raised his pickaxe. "What we need….is you! We need the numbers in order to fight back!"

The whispering got more frantic, but the men looked up at him expectantly.

"And so I ask…will you fight with us? Will you help defend the kingdom of Camelot? Who will stand with us in the name…" He gave a mighty roar. "For freedom!?"

The men all gave battle cries, pumping their pickaxes into the air.

"Thank you…" Reginald smiled, and stepped through the crowd to stand in front of the exit. "Now my comrades…"

Leah and Ghirahim walked up to his side, weapons ready.

Reginald took a deep breath, then thrust his pickaxe forward.

"CHARGE!" He yelled.

….

Outside, one of the miners stood up and wiped his forehead tiredly. He took off his cap, revealing his sweat covered black hair.

Before he could even have half a minute to rest, one of the guards shoved him.

"Get back to work!" He barked.

The miner sighed and hefted his pickaxe. But he stopped mid swing when he heard shouting coming from the cavern. He and the guard watched the entrance warily.

"What's going on there?" The guard muttered.

Then the shouts grew louder and louder, until a wave of escaping miners burst out of the cavern. Their pickaxes were raised threateningly, and their cries for freedom echoed across the town.


End file.
